Ore-car



A. CAMPBELL.

ORE CAR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, I920.

Patented D60 20., 1921.

5 SHEETSSHEET L o nw o o o m m o o m o 0 A CAMPBELL.

ORE CAR.

APPLICATION LED JULY I2, I920.

Patented Dec. 20., 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3 A. CAMPBELL.

ORE CAR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, I920,

L imfiwm Emma 10%. 2% 19211.

5 SHEETS SHEET 4'.

A. CAMPBELL.

ORE CAR.

APPLICATION FILED iULY 12. 1920.

Patented Dec. 20, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5 r M M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARGYLE CAMPBELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 ENTERPRISE RAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORICBATION OF ILLINOIS.

ORE-C Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 20, 1921-.

Application filed. July 12, 1920. Serial No. 395,507.

To all 'wlzmn z't may concern.-

Be it known that I, AnGYLE CAMPBELL a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in 'OreCars, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact ing capacity than present types of ore cars of similar over-all dimensions.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an ore car having a large single discharge opening; having the hopper sides and ends so arranged as to render the car selfclearing; to provide an ore car having unusual strength to resist bufling and pulling shocks; and to provide an ore car having greater capacity than any heretofore having similar over-all length'and width dimensions.

One specific object of the invention is to provide an ore car adapted for the usual orecarrying traffic and wherein is provided a single hopper with the side and end walls of the hopper so sloping and conformed as to eliminate'any crowding of the ore as it is being unloaded, or abrupt restriction of the passage for the ore as it moves toward the discharge opening.

This application constitutes a continua- -tion,'in part, of my prior pending application 386,543 filed June t, 1920.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, so-called ore cars are chiefly employed in the transporting of ore-to large docks where the ore is discharged into bins spaced twentyfour feet apart from center to center, the

bins in turn being arran ed to discharge into ore-carrying steamers. n this class of trafiic, it is essential that all ore cars composing the trains be of standard length which has been made twenty-four feet from coupler V center to coupler center or substantially twenty-two feet over-all from striking plate to striking plate. The standard width of such ore cars, over-all is'eight feet eleven inches or nine feet and the car which I have invented and which is disclosed herein conforms to said standard over-all and width dimensions, In the said ore-carrying trade, it is the general practice to provide ore bins of substantially three hundred tons capacity and in order to facilitate records and calculate the percentages of difierent ores or, classes of ores dumped into the bins, it has been the general practice to make the ore cars of fifty tons normal capacity and sixty tons capacity when heaped or overloaded to the limit so that aneven multiple of car loads,

six or five, is required .in filling a single bin.

By carryingout my improvements and still remaining within thestandardized over-all dimensions now employed, 1 have increased the capacity of the car without any appreciable extra metal or weight or cost of manufacture to a normal capacity of, seventy tons and a moderately heaped or overloaded capacity of seventy-five tons. With this arrangement, it is evident that four car loads where my improved cars; are employed are only required as against the five or six car loads heretofore with consequent decrease in transportation charges and greater speed in transporting a given quantity of ore.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a side elevation of an ore car embodying my improvements, the over-all length of which, from striking plate to striking plate, is made twenty-two feet. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional View of the car shown in Fig. 1 upon a larger scale, the len' th of the section being approximately twoirds the full length of the car. Fig. 3 is a part top plan view, part horizontal section of the car illustrated in Fig. 1, the section corresponding to the line 35-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the improved ore car and on a scale corresponding to Fig. 2. Fig.5 is a transverse partial sectional view corresponding substantially to the line 55 of Fig. 1, the section being on a scale corresponding to Figs. 2 and 4. ig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 5 but taken on the line 66 of Fig. -1. Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view upon the same scaleas Fi s. 2, 4., 5 and 6 and taken on the line 7-7 of iig. 1. In Fig. 7 ,one of the hopper doors is shown by dotted lines in its open position. And Fig. 8 is a plan view of a special combined reinforcing member and baflie plate iemployed along the bottom edge of the end hopper walls.

. mation at 17. Each various parts at In carrying out my invention, I leave the single discharge opening entirely unobstructed and, as will be appreciated by those skilled inthe art, it is necessary to omit any center sills at this part of the car in order to obtain such a clear opening. To compensate for the omission ofthe usual center sills of the car underframe, I have provided a novel type of underframe and load-carrying structure as follows. The structure at each end of the car is the same so that a detailed description of one end will sufiice.

At each end of the car, I provide a heavy casting designated by the reference A, said casting having a relatively short bolster formed integrall therewith. Said bolster includes a body olster center plate 10 and laterally extended arms 11-11, said arms being strengthened on the top thereof by flanges 12-12. Also formed integrally with the casting A are draft sills 13-13 extended outwardly from the center plate 10, said draft sills being preferably provided with suitable stop shoulders for any standard draft rigging. A cover plate 14 is applied to the top of the casting A, said plate extending from the bufling or striking plate or casting 15 to a point inwardly of the king pin openin in the'center plate 10, as clearly shown in igs. 2 and 3. The striking casting 15 is also preferably formed integrally with the casting A. As appears from an inspection of Fig. 3, the'laterally extended arms 11 ofthe casting A terminate approximately midway between the longitudinal center of the car and a plane coincident with the extreme outer side of the car and the end of each of said arms 11 is formed with a diagonally extending wide flange 16. In lieu of the usual center sills, I provide What may be termed side sills, the same being shown as of channel forof said side sills 17 is riveted at its end to an integralflange section 18 of the combined bolster or casting A and striking plate 15. From its end at 18, the.

side sill extends diagonally across the flange 16 of the-corresponding arm 11 of the casting A and to which it 15 riveted and thence to a point indicated at 19 at the outside of the car and from the point 19 the side sill extends longitudinally or parallel to the center line of the car when it is bent inwardly at the opposite end of the car. What may be termed auxiliary side or longitudinal sills are employed, one on each side of the car, the same being indicated at 20. As shown, each sill or strength member20 is of angle form (see Fig. 5'), the ends thereof being attached to the arms 11 of the casting A and paralleling the corresponding portions of the outer or main sills 17, as shown in Fig. 3. Suitable gussets 121-122 are employed to strengthen the connections between the the end of the car.

'0 is made flat With the underframe construction just described, it is evident that bufiin shocks and draft-shocks will be distribute diagonally to the sides of the car and taken up in large part by the sills 17 and 20. In the construction, the casting A, in so far as the bolster proper thereof is concerned, acts as a strut between the diagonally extending portions of the sills 17 and 20 with consequent increase in strength for the car underframe as compared with the usual arrangement of bolster where the buffing and pulling shocks are transmitted thereto merely at the center in line with the draft rigging and at points at the ends of a bolster of the full width of the car. The other parts of the car framing,

including the body bolsters, which are utilized to carry the shocks will be described hereinafter.

The single hopper employed in carrying out my invention is of peculiar construction and designed to obtain the maximum capacity combined with the feature of quick selfclearing of the ore. As shown, the hopper is defined by two side hopper walls B-B and two end hopper walls C-C.

Each side wall B has the upper portion thereof extending in a vertical plane and each defines the upper portion of the side wall of the car itself. Said vertical section of each side wall B is designated by the ref-, erence 21 and has an upperhorizontally extending edge 22, a lower parallel horizontally extending edge 23 and symmetrically arranged diagonally extending edges 2424 as shown most clearly in Fig. 2, so that said vertical portions of the side walls are deeper between the trucks than over the trucks. Below the lines indicated at 23 and 24:, each hopper side wall B is sloped or inclin d inwardly toward the center of the car at 11 angle of approximately 64 to the horizontal, the centralsection of said inclined portion being indicated at 25and the triangular endshaped sections thereof being indicated at 26. The lower edges of the inclined sections 25 and 26 are indicated by the references 27 and 28 respectively. The side walls are braced by top longitudinally extending bulb angles 29 and built-up side stakes or posts 30-30. Below the line 27', indicated in Fig. 2, the side hopper wall is extended ver tically for a short distance as indicated at 31 where'it is secured'to' the sill 20.

Each end hopper wall C of the car slopes in a general downward direction toward the middle of the car, its top edge indicated at 32, each end wall and of the full or maximum width of the car. By this means I obtain an unobstructed rectangular open top of maximum dimensions for the top of'the car to therebyv facilitate loading. The end wall is suitably braced by an angle iron 33, the

side and end walls of the hopper being as shown in Fig. 2. At

mousse strengthened by gussets 34. Each end hopper wall C, from its upper edge 32 is formed with the center of gradually increasing depth toward the bottom, the lowermost lines of the end hopper wall so formed being indicated by the reference 35 and in fact corresponding to the section of the end hopper wall C as shown in Fig. 2. This construction I obtain by gradually changing the form of the end hopper wall C from that of a flat section at the top to one of gradually increasing curvature toward the bottom, the bottom edge having the shortest radius. By so forming the end hopper walls C, I am enabled to materially increase the capacity of the car since the lowermost part of the end wall as indicated by the line 35 may be dropped down below the level of the underframe proper, inasmuch as it is between the walls and side frames of the truckand there is ample clearance, therefore, to accommodate the swiveling movements of the trucks. The side edge portions of the end hopper wall C, indicated at 36 (see Figs. 5 and 6) are bent to an angle correspondin with the sloping sections 25 and 26 of t e side hopper walls B and united thereto by rivets which are preferably countersunk on the inside of the hopper. The inclined or sloping portions 36 of the hopper end walls are merged with the main ortions thereof by curved bends of relative y short radius as indicated at 37 With the construction described, it will be observed that, in plan view,.thehopper end walls C become gradually narrowed toward their lower ends on' account of the merging of the side portions of the endwalls with the side walls B as the positions of the latter change from vertical to inclined. With this construction, not only is the proper slope of the end walls and side walls of the hopper maintained from top to bottom but the gradual contraction or tapering of the hopper as an entirety from top to bottom is effected without producing any shoulders or projections or abruptly restricted passage suchas have heretofore been common in cars of the ore type. By

the arrangement shown and derapidly and without dangervof the load becoming bridged or rigid while the car is being emptied. Furthermore, by maintaining the greater part, of the side walls B. vertically, I avoid cutting out any unnecessary amount of load-carryingcapacity while obtaining the necessary structure-to apply the hopper doors and maintain them within the over-all width of the car. It will also be noted from an inspection of Fig. 1, that another feature which enables me to obtain the maximum capacity mentioned, resides in the fact that the top edges of the upper ends of the hopper are extended substantially over the axles of the end sets of wheels or, in other words, to points where there is left merely sufficient space to accommodate the hand brake within vertical planes corresponding to the extreme end faces of the striking plates.

Each hopper end wall C is suitably braced intermediate its top and bottom edges by a transversely extending angle 39.. Other strengthening angles 40-40 are employed extending lengthwise of the hopper end wall C as clearly shown in the drawings. In the case of all of the angles 39, and 40, the flanges thereof which are secured to the sheets defining the end walls C are preferably united by spot welding so as to avoid any possible interference with the easy passage of the load down the walls C.

With the arrangement of side and end hopper walls described, I obtain a single discharge'opening which is of substantially square formation in plan view and in actual practice the size of this opening in plan, will be six feet six inches square. To close the discharge opening, I employ two hopper doors D-lD of like construction. Each door D is hinged along its upper outer edge by hinge butts 41 preferably secured to the auxiliary side sill 2O. The normal position of the doors D is generally downwardly sloping toward the center line of the car as indicated in Fig. 7, each door being preferably curved to conform to the coutour of the lower edges 42 of the end walls C. Each door D is braced on its under side by channel shaped pressings 43 and by a longitudinally extending channel shaped bar 44, the ends of the latter as indicated at 45 in Figs. 1 and 2 projecting beyond the ends of the door in order to provide means of attachment for the operating mechanism hereinafter described. The bars 44 are so placed that they will engage the rails 46 when the doors are opened, as indicated in Fig. 7 and wall C so as to prevent injury theretoas the load is discharged. To accomplish these two results, I have provided a' novel form of member shown detached in Fig. 8 and .illustratedjalso most clearly in Figs. 1, 2 and 7. Each of said members, referenced 38, preferably consists of aunitary struc- 'ture in the form of a pressed plate. the same being curved throughout its length to conform to the curvature of the lower part of the end wall (1 At the center of the -,-'car, the section of said member 38-is substantially. channel shaped. as indicated at 90. The upper flange 91 of said channel section is-continued to points adjacent the auxiliary sills as indicated at 92 in Figs. 5 and. 8. The lower flange 93 of the member 38 is continued to the points indicated at 94 in Figs. 5 and 8 and outwardly thereof, the member 38 is provided with a dependin sheet or flange'47 which acts as the ba e or wing to preventspreading of the load as it is being discharged. The flanges or Wings 47 are reinforced along their inclined edges by flanges 95 and 96 integral therewith. At each end, the member 38 is secured to the main side sillsas indicated at 97. In this manner the member 38 performs the additional function of a needle beam or crossgirder for the underframe, thereby materially strengthening the latter, particularly against collapse or buckling. The rivets which secure the member 38 to the end wall C are also preferably countersunk on the inner side to avoid interference with the discharge of the load.

The member just described in detail adds great strength to the car sills providing the baffles or wing plates to control the discharge.

The mechanism foroperating the doors D is preferably constructed as follows: At one end of the car above the underframe struc-" ture and beneath the corresponding-hopper end wall C, a transversely extending shaft 48 is employed, the same extending from side to side of the car so that it may be operated from either end. This shaft carries ratchet wheels 49'49 at both ends and adapted to cotiperate therewith are looking dogs 50-50 rigidly mounted on acommon transversely extending shaft 51. Cotiperable with the dogs 50 are cams 52-52 rigidly mountedon the ends of a common transversely extending shaft 53. Each of the shafts 48, 51 and 53, has means at the ends thereof to receive a claw bar or other suitable similar tool so that the operating mechanism can be actuated or released from either side of the car. The various shafts are suitably journaled in bearing brackets carried by upright angles 54 and plates 55.

At the opposite end of the car, a second transversely extending shaft 56 is employed similarly located as-the shaft 48 but in this case extending only slightly more than half way across the car. The shafts 48 and 56 carry sprocket gears over each of which passes a section of sprocket chain 57. The ends of the sprocket chains 57 are connected to long heavy links 58 and 59, one of said linksas for instance the link 58 being bifurcated so as to permit the assage therethrough of the other link 59. ith this construction, it is evident that upon clockwise rotation of the shaft 48, the other shaft 56 will be simultaneously rotated but in a counter-clockwise direction. The links 58 and the same being secured to the car side plates 60 and the sloping hopper side sections 25 and to the tops of the side sills 17 and 20. Those pressings 61 on theside of the car Where the links 58 and 59 are found, are cut away as indicated at 62'to accommodate said links and chains, as indicated in Fig. 7.

Between each of the shafts 48 and 56 and the. corresponding extended ends 45 of the bars 44 is interposed apreferabIy selflocking flexible linkage constructed as follows: On each shaft isri gidly secured a hub 63 to which is pivoted -a short link 64, the latter having pivoted thereto a heavy link 65 with oppositely and laterally extended arms 66. To each of the arms 66 is pivotally connected an elongated hooksha-ped link 67 each link 67 at its lower end having an adjustable eye-bolt 68 secured thereto, the bolts being in turn connected by the links 69 to the extended arms 45 of the bars 44. The hook-shaped links 67 in combination with the link 65 seat upon the drum 63 in such a way as to eliminate torsion on the shaft when the parts are in position corresponding to the doors closed, in a well known manner. With the arrangement shown, it is evident that the doors may be opened and closed from either side of the car by manipulating the shaft 48.

To properly sustainthe end portions of the hopper, complete the body holsters, and utilize the sides of the car as load carr ing members, I employ the following cons ruction: Secured to the tops of the sills 17 and 20 and the flanges 12 of the casting A are plates 70, one on each side of the car, at each end thereof, as indicated in Fig. 3. These plates are preferably provided with an opening 71 to prevent accumulation of dirt or' other foreign matter in the ockets formed at these points on the car. xtending upwardly from the casting A, on each side thereof is a plate 72, the inner edge of each plate 72 being connected to a vertically extending angle 73. The outer edges of the plates 72 are riveted to angles and plates 74 which extend upwardly and outwardly to points in line with-the sides.of the car and are then carried upwardly vertically to the top of the car, as shown 1n Figs. 4 and 6.: At each end of'the car and on each'side of the center line thereof, a vertically extending longitudinal plate 7 5 is employed, the same being flanged at its lower edge and riveted to the corresponding horizontal plate 70. Each plate 75 is of substantially triangular form, the vertical edge thereof being united to the angle 73 and the inclined edge being united, to the angle 40. Inclined braces 76* are employed extending from the striking plate to the outer end wall C and united to correspondin angle irons 40 as shown in Fig. 2. Additional braces 190-190 are preferably used, the same extending from the striking plate to the upper edge of the end wall C as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4; and also inclined braces'191-191 asshown in Fi s. 4 and 6.

rom the immediately preceding description, it will be seen that the elements 72, 73, 74 and 75 constitute parts of the bolsters and serve .to increase the width of the bolsters in their upper portions to the full width of the car. In this way, not only are the ends of the hopper properly supported but the loads from the bolsters are transmitted efiiciently to the side walls of the car and said walls utilized as strength loadcarrying members.

It will be noted from the drawings that I provide four ladders, one at each corner of the car. To carry out this construction, at each corner of'the car I provide laterally extended supporting angles 77 and 78 and vertically extending angle iron stiles 7 9 and 80, the latter going to the top of the car and the former uniting with a side stake or brace as indicated at 81. A step 82 and rungs 83 are secured to the stiles and it will be noted that the ladder thus formed is in a plane flush with'the side wall proper of the car, thus avoiding any increased over-all width and-providing ample room for the feet and hands of the brakeman in conformity with the safety laws. In the latter connection, it will be noted that the upper rung 84 of the ladder comes opposite the vertical portion of a side wall and in order that the necessary clearance may be obtained at this particular point, the side wall will have a depression 85 therein as indicated in Fig. 1. Suitable platforms 185 are prbvi'ded at each end of the car extending the full width thereof and supported on brackets 86 secured to the corner stiles 80 and a transversely extending angle iron 87 similarly supported. Grab irons are provided as indicated at 88. A handbrake is indicated conventionally at 89, it being noted that the latter is disposed inside of a vertical plane corresponding to the outer fac'e'of the striking plate 15.

Although I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out the invention, the

same is merely by way of description and not by way of limitation. All changes and modifications are contemplated that come within the scope of the claims appended.

hereto.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, an end wall for a hopper ore car, said end wall come iii prising a main central portion Witha straight upper cross edge corresponding to the maximum width of the hopper, said main portion gradually changing to a curved section at the bottom thereof with said curved section of gradually increasing depth and curvature from the top to the bottom, said end wall having also side edges inclined upwardly and outwardly and merged with said main centralportion by curved bends of short radius.

- 2. In a single hopper ore car, the combination with opposed side hopper walls, each having the upper portion thereof extending vertically and the lower portion sloping inwardly toward the center of the car, said upper po'rtion-having the top and bottom edges thereof extending parallel and the ends defined by inclined lines, the upper points of said lines terminating at the corners of the car, the upper edgeof each said side wallbeing of a length equal to the distance between the axles of the end sets of car wheels; of end hopper walls, each sloping in a generally downward direction from the top of the car toward the middle thereof, each said end wall being fiat across the top and provided with a central portion of gradually increasing depth and curvature from said top flat edge to the bottom of the wall, the side portions of each end wall 1nerging with the adjacent vertical and sloping portions of the sidewalls, the lower edges of the side and bottom hopper walls defining a discharge opening disposed centrally of the car between the trucks; doors for closing said opening; and mechanism for operating said doors.

3. In a single hopper ore car, the combination with opposite side hopper walls, each side hopper wall having the upper part thereof extending in a vertical plane and the lower part thereof extending in a plane inclined downwardly toward the center of the car;'-of end hopper Walls, each sloping downwardly from the top edge of the car to a point between the trucks, each of said end hopper walls being flat at the top and gradually changing to a curved section of varying radii and with the shortest radius at the bottom thereof, the side portions of said end hopper walls merging with the adjacent vertical andsloping portions of the side hopper walls, the lower edges of the side and end hopper walls defining the discharge opening; doors for closing said opening, and mechanism for operating said doors.

4. In a hopper car, the combination with side hopper walls; of end hopper walls, each end hopper wall sloping downwardly from the to of the car and of a section gradually changing from flat to curved andwlth the cur'vature of minimum radius at the bottom thereof, the lower edges of said side and end hopper wall defining a single,- each structed discharge opening; means for closing said opening; and mechanism for operating said means.

5. In a hopper car, the combination with side hopper walls; of end hopper walls, each vend hopper wall sloping downwardly from the top of the car andof a section gradually changing from flat to curved and with the curvature of minimum radius at the bottom thereof, the lower edges of said side and end hopper wall defining a single, unobstructed discharge opening; a pair of oppositely swinging doors for closing said'openunder side of each hopper end wall at and conforming to the contour of the lower edge thereof, each reinforcing member extending from side toside of the hopper end wall and being provided at its ends with integrally formed depending wings adapted to serve as bafiies.

7. In a car of the character described, the combination with a hopper having side and end walls, the latter being curved at their bottom edges; of doors for closing the hopper opening; mechanism for operating the doors; an underframe including side sills located outside of the lower edges of ,said hopper end walls; and a reinforcing,

combined cross brace and bafile member secured to the underside of each said curved end wall, said member extending from side sill to side silland secured at its ends thereto, the top of said member conforming to the curvature of the end wall where attached thereto, said member having depending wings near each end thereof adapted to serves as bafiies.

8. As an' article of manufacture, a combined cross brace and baflie member for a hopper car, said. member having an arcuate top edge and depending wings near each end thereof, said member being flanged at its ends and along its top edge to thereby adapt it to be secured to a hopper sheet and longitudinally extending sills of a car underframe.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 22nd day of June, 1920.

. ARGYLE CAMPBELL. Witnesses:

CARRIE GAILING, UNA C. Gmosnr. 

